It's academia. One week at a time

53 resources to navigate the academic job market

Job hunting is stressful and time consuming but with careful research and preparation it can be a positive and rewarding experience*. Having recently survived the process I’m using this weeks post to compile a list of online resources for navigating the academic job market, broken down by category and interspersed with my own personal tips.

Develop and equip yourself

Early preparation is easily forgotten. Look at the desirable requirements for the type of job you expect to be applying for and go on that professional development course, get that teaching qualification and update your CV. Use upcoming meetings and conferences to network, collaborate and get your name heard, put the word out that you will soon be on the job market. Make sure you have an online presence. Social media is becoming more important but I am talking here about your university staff page biography, LinkedIn profile, ResearchGate etc. You should make sure these are professional, up-to-date and include a research and/or teaching summary that is something other than just ‘postdoc at x university’. It is from these pages that consulting and other business opportunities can arise. Finally, go see a mentor. Here are some top links for more information:

This will be location and situation specific but remember your network can be very useful here. I think sending the odd speculative e-mail/CV is ok especially to an existing contact or contact in common but remember that many people find these annoying. For those ‘this is the perfect job for me’ adverts always make a pre-application enquiry. If no name is given then be proactive and find one – but make sure you have sensible questions prepared and don’t take up too much of their time. Links below:

I’m including here the cover letter, CV, and the whatever they call it – the personal statement – why do you want this job – how do you meet the person specification; I’ve listed some great resources below. My top tips are to link your application to the university’s academic strategy with key words and phrases; likewise use the same wording as they use in the job description/person specification to explicitly detail how you meet these things. Always provide a cover letter if the system allows. Always. In an online application (in my opinion, and contrary to the advice in some of my links) generic sentences like ‘please find enclosed my application for x position’ are redundant, instead begin with why you are interested in them.

Preparation is key here, practice, practice and practice some more any presentations and answers to obvious questions – with an audience, standing up. Do as much research as you can about the institution and department, think about possible future collaborations and courses you’d like to teach and remember that you are also interviewing them. Finally, get a good nights sleep and plan your route and outfit in advance.

Now that it is over, relax and stop worrying – think about what you have learned/gained from the process and stop comparing yourself to others. If it went well, think about how you would respond to an offer.